Leesburg man who killed friend sentenced to 30 years

Lake County Sheriff's Office mugshot of Jimmie Fowler. (lcso.org )

January 31, 2012|By Joseph Freeman, Orlando Sentinel

TAVARES — A Leesburg man who shot and killed his friend at a house party in June 2011 has been sentenced to 30 years in state prison after pleading guilty to charges of second-degree murder with a firearm.

Circuit Judge Don F. Briggs presided over the case of 29-year-old Jimmie Fowler, who according to records killed Willi Culpepper, 33, because he thought Culpepper was having an affair with his wife.

Prosecutor Hugh Bass said that the guilty plea helps put a period on the case.

"One of the incentives…for all of us in law enforcement, is that he waives his right to appeal, which gives closure to the victim's family," Bass said.

The irony is that all the pain and hardship the case created for those close to Culpepper and Fowler stemmed from a party.

A small get-together was winding down after dawn June 19 when, according to Culpepper's girlfriend, Mary Kollydas, Fowler retrieved a gun from his bedroom and returned to open fire on a group of people in the living room of his home at 314 Montclair Road.

Neighbors interviewed at the time by the Orlando Sentinel said that late-night soirees were a regular occurrence at the single-wide mobile home with a large yard strewn with garbage.

According to a Sheriff's Office report, Fowler addressed Culpepper with an expletive and shot him in the arm and abdomen. Culpepper asked why he had shot him, saying: "Are you kidding me?"

Deputies said Fowler replied that Culpepper was having an affair with his wife, Ruth Brown. Culpepper died from his injuries at Leesburg Regional Medical Center.

After the shooting, about 6 a.m., Fowler left with a friend, identified in court filings as Jamie "Jay" Wilson. Several calls were then placed to Fowler's sister, Katherine Walker. Calls were followed by a text message that read: "this is jay please answer ur brother in troubwe [sic]." She then answered the phone and heard Fowler crying.

Not long after he was arrested at his sister's home in Eustis, court records show.